Saunders in frame for super-fight with Canelo or Golovkin

BILLY JOE SAUNDERS is being lined up for a September superfight against Canelo Alvarez or Gennady Golovkin following the cancellation of his world-title defence against Martin Murray. Both Alvarez and Golovkin see Hatfield traveller Saunders as their preferred alternative opponent as their rematch negotiations near collapse. No matter how serious the hamstring injury which Saunders is citing for his second withdrawal from an interim fight with Murray may be, he would be fit for the biggest bout of his life in three months’ time. Suddenly Saunders, with his WBO middleweight belt, is the hottest property in boxing. Alvarez needs a credible opponent for his Mexico Hot property: Saunders poses with his WBO belt Independence Day weekend fight in Las Vegas on September 15. If Golovkin gets the nod the fight would almost certainly take place at a football ground in England, possibly the London Stadium. Golovkin is under pressure to face mandatory challengers for two of his middleweight titles if the Alvarez rematch falls through. Alvarez has no such obligations and views Saunders as his easiest route back to a world title, with Las Vegas the likeliest location for that fight. The bait for Golovkin to come to London would be the chance of fulfilling his ambition of holding all the middleweight belts. But that would require the WBC and IBF accepting that a unification fight — with the WBA and WBO titles also at stake — trumps the claims of the leading contenders in their rankings. Saunders pulling out of the June 23 fight with Murray at the O2 Arena suggests his promoter, Frank Warren, has come to an agreement in principle with Alvarez or Golovkin, maybe both. Murray addressed Saunders’ second withdrawal from their fight, saying: ‘Another bull**** story. He’s just trying to make a big-money fight with Canelo or Golovkin and I’m too big a risk.’